288 THE REGION WEST OF SHA-KANGSHAM.
To the S. E. and south, are parts of the range we had to cross in Claaklatn-la the next day.
On Marcia 23rd, we travelled 8.7 km. S. S. W. and S. W. From Camp CCCLXI, we had to rise 256 m. to the 3.4 km. distant pass, Chaklam-la, 5,285 m. high, being a rise at a rate of I : 13.3. From the pass to Camp CCCLXII at 4,905 m., we had 5.3 km., the fall being here 38o m. and the rate 1 : 13.9. On both the northern and the southern side, the range is, therefore, very well defined and its slopes unusually steep. The minimum temperature in the night was — 13.I°. The S. W. wind was not at all strong, and the sky was overclouded only at 1 o'clock p. m.
The valley leading up to the pass is, therefore, hard and steep. From the threshold of the pass, the view is much hindered by hills in the neighbourhood. To the south we beheld a labyrinth of rather high and difficult mountains. The southern horizon is formed by a high and dark range which seems to start from Sha-kangsham. Just under the pass, on its southern side, is a trough with good grass. Here a narrow valley begins winding S. W. At a few places it is as narrow as a gorge and its bottom is full of gravel. The living rock, cropping up in sharp teeth and rocky ridges and towers, consists of light grey crystalline limestone. A flock of 5o antelopes fled across the hill-sides. Here and there, some snow is left. Where the material is soft, a path is readily visible. Finally the little valley becomes broader and in front of us we see the next latitudinal valley with its ice-covered river. The river turns more and more to the west. On the floor of the main valley the ground was sand, and good grass was growing here. At an isolated hill, was a sheepfold. Sometimes the abandoned camping places of travellers were passed.
Pan. 44 I A and B, Tab. 81, shows the landscape seen from Camp CCCLXII. We see the course of the ice-filled river bed to the west, and how its valley turns to the W. S. W. between hills of no great height. To the N. W., west and N. E. is the range we had just crossed, cut through by several small valleys, and with rocky crests and peaks. The peak to the N. 83° E. and its neighbour to the right, seem to be detached from the principal range. To the S. E. is the valley of the river.
On March 24th, our route goes S. E. for 10.7 km. rising from 4,905 to 5,026 m. or 12I m., a rate of I : 88. The minimum temperature was —16.2°; a S. W. wind was blowing as usual, though not hard. At noon the sky became overclouded and it began to snow.
The ice bed was crossed, its breadth being 120 m., after which we marched up the valley between the left bank of the river and the base of the western hills. The ground is very gravelly. Higher up the bed was quite dry; the ice-sheets are, therefore, formed by springs. A shepherd with his sheep was seen amongst the hills and on the right bank two tents and, farther on, a hie or cairn with poles and rags; such of different shape are common here. From this cairn, Sha-kangsham was dimly
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